Controlling-lever.



F. H. QUADE CONTROLLING LEVER.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.27, 191s.

Patented May 9,1916.

FRANK H. QUADE, JR., 013 FRESNO, CALIFORNIA.

CONTROLLING-LEVER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 9, 1916.

Application filed January 27, 1915. Serial No. 1,778.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, FRANK H. QUADE, Jr., acitizen of the United States, residing at Fresno, in the county ofFresno and State of California, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements 1n Controlling-Levers, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to controlling levers, and has for its object theprovision of a simple and efficient device whereby mechanism controlledby the lever will be effectually locked in the normal or operativeposition and may be quickly released or rendered inoperative when sodesired.

The device is intended more particularly for use upon printing machinesin which it is desirable to have means whereby the printing mechanismmay be quickly thrown out of operation at times to avoid breakage orother damage of some of the parts. device is capable, however, of use inall classes of machinery in which it is desirable at times to stop thenormal operation.

Particular objects of the present invention are to provide means wherebythe lever will be effectually retained in its normal position, and toprovide means whereby a continuous movement in one direction will firstrelease the lever and then throw it to inoperative position whereby toarrest the movement of the working parts of the machine upon which thelever is mounted.

The invention also seeks to improve the construction and arrangement ofthe several parts to the end that the efficiency and durability of thedevice may be increased.

Further objects of the invention will appear as the description of thesame proceeds, and the invention consists in certain novel featureswhich will be first fully described and then more particularly pointedout in the claims following the description.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is an elevation of a controlling lever embodying myimprovements and showing the same in its normal locked position; andFig. 2 is a similar view, showing the lever shifted to the throw-oif orinoperative position.

In carrying out my inventiomI employ a main lever 1 which is fulcrumedin any convenient manner, as by a screw 2, upon a .1-.. A4: A mnnkhw midmain The thereof, and the said link extends to mechanism which iscontrolled by the lever. The lower extremity of the lever may also beengaged with a latch or suitable device whereby additional mechanism maybe simultaneously controlled.

To the upper end of the lever 1, I pivotally attach a handle member orreleasing lever 6, which is shown as provided with a cushion handle orenlargement 7 at its upper end and has its lower end below its pivot Ssomewhat tapered, as shown at 9. The pivot 8 may conveniently be aheaded rivet, and a resilient washer, indicated at 10, may be arrangedbetween the head of the rivet and the body of the release lever 6 so asto permit the handle to be readily manipulated but, at the same time,tend to hold it frictionally in the position in which it may be set.Lugs 11 or other convenient stops are provided upon the main lever 1below the pivot 8 and at the opposite sides of the tapered end 9 of thehandle to limit the independent movement of the handle relative to thelever.

Below the handle I pivotally mount upon a pin or lug 12 projecting fromthe lever a latch or dog 18 which is provided on its upper edge with acam surface 11 upon which the extremity of the handle is adapted toride. The dog or latch 13 is also provided with a notch or recess 15adapted to engage a keeper which, in the present instance, isillustrated as consisting of a roller 16 mounted upon a rivet or stud 17projecting from the main frame 3. Beyond the notch or recess 15, the dogor latch is provided with a straight edge 18 and at the lower corner ofthe latch I provide a pin 19 to which one end of a spring 20 isattached. The opposite end of the said spring 20 is attached to orengaged upon a lug or in 21 on the lever 1, and it will be readilyunderstood that the said spring tends to hold the latch thrown upwardlyagainst the keeper so that, in the normal position of the parts, thesaid keeper will be within the notch or recess 15, as illustrated inFig. 1.

A spring 22 isattached to the lever 1 below the fulcrum thereof, and theopposite end of said spring is secured at any convenient point on theframe so that the said spring will be extended, when the lever is in itsnormal position, and will at once conin Fig. 2. To limit the movement ofthe lever under the influence of the spring 22, I provide a stop 23 uponthe main frame against which the lever impinges in its releasing orthrow-oil movement. The movement of the lever in the opposite directionis limited by the keeper as shown in Fig. 1.

The construction and arrangement of the several parts being thus madeknown, it is thought the operation of thesame will be readilyunderstood. When the machine upon which the lever is mounted isoperating normally, the lever 1 will be vertical, as shown in Fig. 1,and the handle member will be thrown over to the right so that thetapered operating extremity of said member will be in contact with butnot exerting pressure upon the cam edge lei of the latch. The spring 20will be retracted so as to hold the latch in its upper position with thenotch therein in engagement with the keeper and the lever will bethereby locked against movement under the influence of the spring 22.Should it become necessary from any cause to stop the operation of themachine, the handle member 7 is pushed toward the left in the drawings,thereby swinging the member about its pivot 8 and causing the lowerextremity thereof to ride upon the cam edge 14 and swing the latch aboutits pivot 12 against the tension of the spring 20, this movement causingthe latch to be disengaged from the keeper whereby the lever is free toswing to the position shown in Fig. 2 under the influence of the spring22. The movement of the lever toward the position shown in Fig. 2 willbe facilitated by the force applied to the handle member 7 inasmuch assaid member will swing upon its pivot 8 until it impinges against theright hand stop 11 at which instance the latch will be entirely freedfrom the keeper and the force applied to the handle member will then betransmitted to the lever so as to co-act with the spring 22. It will bereadily seen that a comparatively light blow upon the handle 7 by theoperator will serve to quickly throw the operating mechanism to aninoperative position.

When it is desired to again permit the machine to operate, the handle isswung in the opposite direction so that the lower portion thereof willswing against the left hand stop 11, and this movement will relieve thelatch of the holding force exerted by the handle so that the said latchmay respond to the force exerted by the spring 20 and quickly engage thekeeper as the parts are returned to the position shown in Fig. 1.

It will be readily noted that the parts of my device are compactlyarranged and are simple in their construction. The lever has no slidingmovement upon its fulcrum but merely swings about the same so that it isnot necessary for the operator to depress the lever before impartinglateral movement to the same. The spring 20 will hold the latch firmlyin engagement with the keeper, so that the accidental stoppage of themachine will not occur, but willyield instantly to a light tap upon thehandle so that no great exertion is required of the operator tomanipulate the lever. The throw-off movement of the lever is arrested bythe stop 23 so that breakage or disarrangement of any of the partsconnected with the lever will not occur while the movement of the leverin the opposite direction is arrested by the keeper and rebound thereofis prevented by the latch engaging the keeper, as will be readilyunderstood.

It will be noted, upon reference to Fig. 2, that, when the lever is ininoperative posie tion, the latch has its straight edge in contact withthe keeper and the pressure exerted by the latch against the handle isalmost in a longitudinal line of the handle so that the tension of thespring 20 aids in holding the parts in inoperative position. Thepressure of the latch'against the keeper is exerted almost verticallythereon so that the movement of the lever toward working position isresisted by the force of the spring and the friction of. the parts and,consequently, accidental shifting of the device from the positionillustrated in Fig. 2 is not apt to occur. It will also be readilynoted, upon reference to Fig. 1, that the throw-off movement of thehandle is exerted positively and directly upon the latch and is in adirection from the pivot of the latch and toward the keeper so that aslight movement of the handle will release the latch from the keeper andthe continued move ment of the handle in the same direction 105 willthrow the lever to inoperative position. The spring 20 is so disposedthat its force will never be exerted along a line radial to the pivot ofthe latch and, consequently, the spring will not only tend to hold thelatch 110 in engagement with the keeper but, when the latch is releasedfrom the keeper, the tension of the spring will be increased so that itwill instantly engage the 'keeper upon the movement of the lever to thework- 115 ing position.

Having thus described the invention, What is claimed as new is l. Thecombination with a frame, of a keeper thereon, frame, a latch pivotedupon the lever to move in a plane parallel with the face of the leverand provided in one edge with a notch to engage the keeper and having acam formed on said edge between its pivot 125 and the notch, a springattached to the lever and the latch and tending to hold the latch inengagement with the keeper, and a handle pivoted upon the lever for movement in a plane parallel with the face there- 130 a lever fulcrumed uponthe of and having its end arranged to ride over the cam edge of thelatch toward the notch therein to release the latch from the keeper.

2. The combination with a frame, of a keeper thereon, a lever fulcrumedupon the frame below and adjacent the keeper, the keeper limiting in onedirection, a latch pivoted at one end to the lever and projecting beyondthe edge thereof to engage said keeper, means acting upon said latch tonormally holdit in engagement with the keeper, a handle pivoted to thelever and acting upon the latch to release it from the keeper, thelatch, lever and the handle moving 1n parallel planes,

stops upon the lever at opposite sides of the handle whereby said handlemay actuate the lever, and a stop in the path of the lever at the sidethereof remote from the keeper.

3. The combination with a frame, of a keeper projecting laterallytherefrom, a lever fulcrumed upon the frame below and adjacent thekeeper, a latch pivoted upon Copies of this patent the movement of thelever may be obtained for five cents each,

the face of the lever and projecting beyond the edge of the same andprovided in its up per edge with a notch adapted to engage said keeper,and with a cam surface extending from the notch to the pivoted end ofthe latch, a handle pivoted upon the lever above the latch and havingits lower end bearing upon the cam surface of the latch, the latch andthe handle being disposed in the same plane parallel with the plane ofmovement of the lever, means whereby movement of the handle will becommunicated to the lever, and a spring secured at one end to the leverbelow the latch and at its opposite end to the latch below andeccentrioally to the pivot of the same.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FRANK H. QUADE, JR.

Witnesses:

710K W. PARSONS, B. A. MoALrINn.

by addressing the Commissioner or l'atents.

Washington, D. G.

